Local Politics · Santa Barbara County
The U.S. Department of Justice sent letters to 57 of California's 58 elected elections officers, including Santa Barbara County Registrar Joe Holland, demanding they purge allegedly noncitizen voters within 48 hours. Holland, who has been absent from the county Elections offices for over two years due to health challenges, did not respond to contact attempts by county supervisors or CEO Jana Petersen before the deadline passed. A Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel rejected the DOJ's emergency filing, with judges questioning both the reliability of the alleged noncitizen-voter numbers and federal authority over state election jurisdiction. The letter listed 180 specific names for Santa Barbara County, though those figures remain unverified.
Local Politics · Solvang, CA
The Solvang City Council unanimously approved a three-year labor contract with Teamsters Local 986 on Monday, ending a 22-workday strike by city employees. The agreement grants annual cost-of-living increases of 6%, 5%, and 4%, effective Oct. 15, July 1, 2027, and July 1, 2028, respectively. The union represents 31 of the city's 42 employees, and the fiscal impact is projected at $93,422 through the end of the current budget year. The contract also includes designated paid holidays at the end of December for represented employees.
Local Politics · Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County has selected Maria Gardner as the next director of its Department of Social Services, with a start date of Nov. 10 pending formal approval by the Board of Supervisors. Gardner brings approximately 30 years of experience with the department, having advanced from a frontline Child Welfare Services social worker to assistant director and most recently chief financial and administrative officer. She succeeds Daniel Nielson, who announced his retirement earlier this year after 13 years leading the county's largest public service agency through events including the Montecito Debris Flow and the COVID-19 response.
